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== CHAPTER 28: NEW HORIZONS (PART 3) ==

At the December Quarterly of 1880 Samuel Crocker Lawrence was elected Grand Master.

Samuel Crocker Lawrence was born in Medford, November 22, 1832, of colonial ancestry running back to 1635. Ke was educated in the Medford schools, Lawrence Academy, at Groton, and Harvard University, graduating in 1855. After graduation he spent two years in the banking business in Chicago, after which he returned to Medford to take charge of his father's business, he became sole proprietor in 1867 and continued such until he liquidated the business in 1905. The Lawrences were the distillers of the famous Medford rum and from the business built up an ample fortune. The younger Lawrence's business interests were in railroads. He was one of the most successful and constructive railroad officials, always striving for the interest of the stockholder and the public.unselfishly and devotedly. An instance may be cited in his management of the Eastern Railroad, later combined with the Boston and Maine. When he took office as a Director the stock stood at $3.00 a share, but when it combined with the Boston and Maine it stood at $150.00. He was also active in the development of the Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company which became the fourth in size in the country and was untouched by the scandals revealed by an investigation of the three greater companies.

He was always interested in military affairs. On graduating from Harvard he was commissioned Third Lieutenant in the 5th Massachusetts infantry and in a few years rose to be its Colonel. Believing war between the states inevitable he not only put his own regiment in condition for immediate duty but strongly urged preparedness on the governor of the state. Foresight and preparedness for the future were always among his most prominent characteristics. When Sumter was fired on he and his regiment were ready. Marching orders came on April 18, 1861, and the next day all the companies of the regiment reported in Boston for duty.

At the Battle of Bull Run his regiment greatly distinguished itself, holding its position for three hours after his Division commander had declared the day lost. Col. Lawrence was badly wounded and left on the field for dead, but was found by his adjutant and carried to safety. He was incapacitated for further active service, but was commissioned a Brigadier General and rendered considerable service in recruiting. His interest in military men and matters continued to the end of his life. He built at his own expense a magnificent and splendidly equipped armory for the local military company.

Bro. Lawrence early became interested in Masonry and was raised in Hiram Lodge, October 26, 1854. When Mount Hermon Lodge was organized in Medford he became a Charter member and was its Master from October 1862, to January, 1865. He served as Grand Sword Bearer in 1869 and as Senior Grand Warden in 1870. After his retirement from the Grand Mastership he continued to render valuable service to the Grand Lodge until the end of his life. At his death in 1911 he left a large sum to the Grand Charity Fund and bequeathed to the Grand Lodge his large and priceless Masonic library, one of the finest in the country.

He was interested in all branches of Masonry, serving as Grand Commander of the Grand Commandery of Massachusetts and Rhode Island. He was for many years an Active Member of the Northern Supreme Council and for two years preceding his death was its Sovereign Grand Commander. To him, more than to any one person, is due the "Reunion of 1867," which reconciled discordant elements and made possible the later prosperity of the Scottish Rite.

To all his Masonic connections Bro. Lawrence brought the inestimable contribution of his financial skill and foresight. Wherever possible he provided for the building and conservation of funds, funds which have been of the greatest value in preserving the various bodies through days of financial stress.

Bro. Lawrence's most prominent personal characteristic was his wide sympathy and real affection for his fellows. Friendliness marked all his contacts and relations, and he reaped a splendid reward in the affectionate regard of a multitude of "all sorts and conditions of men." His charities were wide but never ostentatious. His wealth was large, but he used to say that he tried to spend half of his income in charity. Of lofty stature and noble and majestic appearance he looked the really great man that he was.

As early as the June Quarterly of 1880 Wor. William T. R. Marvin called attention to the fact that under the Grand Lodge of England a Lodge which had been in existence for a hundred years was awarded a centenary medal and suggested the propriety of adopting a similar custom here. A Committee was appointed which submitted an elaborate report at the December Quarterly. This report was accepted but consideration of it was deferred to the March Quarterly of 1881. At that meeting a further report was submitted containing a form for a Centenary Warrant and providing for the method of obtaining the Warrant, the approval of the design by the Grand Master, and authority for members of the Lodge to wear the medals. This was adopted as a standing regulation and later incorporated in the Grand Constitutions.

At the June Quarterly of 1881, the Committee on By-Laws reported upon a curious provision in a code submitted by one of the older Lodges. The provision had been in the by-laws since the eighteenth century, at .which time by-laws ware passed upon by the Grand Master, but not approved by the Grand Lodge. The provision in question read that "Any Brother of ____ Lodge may became an honorary member of the same by paying into
the Treasury thereof the sum of ten dollars, and by vote of the Lodge." The Committee very properly struck out the purchase provision as inconsistent with the ethics of honorary membership. They could find no Grand Lodge legislation on the subject and presented a Standing Regulation: "Candidates for the honorary membership in a Lodge shall be regularly proposed and balloted for in the same manner as is required for other candidates, but must be received without a fee." This regulation is still in force with the added provision that "A unanimous ballot shall not be deemed necessary when the candidate is already an active member, unless the Lodge in its by-laws shall so provide."

On November 22, 1881, Grand Secretary Cheever was present with the Grand Officers at the dedication of the Masonic Apartments at North Easton. He made up his record of the meeting, noted carefully the hour of closing the Grand Lodge and said to Grand Master Lawrence "My record is finished: it will read right a hundred years hence." Within half an hour he had an apopletic stroke and died the next afternoon without regaining consciousness.

Past Grand Master Sereno D, Nickerson was appointed acting Grand Secretary, and was elected Grand Secretary at the December Quarterly. A sketch of Bro. Nickerson has already been inserted in connection with his election as Grand Master.

At the December Quarterly of 1881, Grand Master Lawrence called attention to the fact that there was no provision in our legislation for the consolidation of Lodges. He expressed himself rather strongly as to the need of such legislation and as to the benefits to be obtained from the consolidation of weak Lodges. a resolution was presented outlining simple procedure for such cases. The resolution was referred to a Committee, but we have no record that the Committee ever reported. Probably the question did not seem as pressing to the Committee as it did to the Grand Master. There had been only one consolidation (in 1859) since 1792 and the matter was not even considered again until 1938.

At the March Quarterly of 1882 Grand Master Lawrence called attention to the great and growing danger from spurious rites and degrees. He recalled that in 1879 Grand Master Welch had called attention to the fact that certain persons were selling degrees which they pretended were Masonic, notably the so called "Egyptian Rite," and even advertising in the public prints for candidates. Grand Master Welch's warning had produced good results, but Grand Master Lawrence had learned that the nefarious business had been revived and many brethren were being victimized. Not only was the pecuniary waste considerable, but a prolific source of discord was introduced into the Lodges. The whole thing contained a serious threat to the best interests of the Order.

Past Grand Master Welch then offered an amendment to the Grand Constitutions in three paragraphs.
* The first declared that this Grand Lodge recognized no degrees as Masonic except those conferred in regular Lodges, Chapters, Councils, Commanderies. and Bodies of the Scottish Rite of the Northern and Southern Jurisdictions. For identification the names of Grand Commander Henry L. Palmer and Albert Pike were included with their respective Supreme Councils.
* The second paragraph read ". . . it is hereby declared that any Mason who is admitted in this jurisdiction, with any other Orders as Masonic, whether called the Rite of Memphis or by any other name, is acting un-Masonically, and for such conduct shall be liable to be expelled from all the rights and privileges of Masonry and shall be ineligible to membership or office in this Grand Lodge.
* The third paragraph read "Any Mason in this jurisdiction who shall hawk and sell any of the degrees, so called, hereinbefore forbidden, calling them degrees in Masonry, may be expelled from all the rights and privileges of Masonry."
The Grand Master appointed a Committee of seven, of which Charles Levi Woodbury was chairman and William Sewall Gardner a member to consider and report at the June Quarterly.

Opposition was expected and a stenographer was present to take down the discussion.
The report of the Committee was.carefully considered and very statesmanlike document. It begins by saying:
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"In every State its Grand Lodge has the obligation to watch and ward for the cultivation of harmony and union among the Craft and to protect it against wayward contention, conflict, dissention, and envy among the members of the Lodges. The cohesion of Freemasonry is the important object for which Grand Lodges were created, and the end for which their wisdom and prudence ought to be exercised. The gravest part of this duty of maintaining the cohesion of Freemasonry rests upon the Grand Lodge.<br>
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"What, then, are Masonic institutions other than Grand Lodges. By the tacit or direct consent of Grand Lodges certain bodies, based upon the Symbolic Degrees have risen and been generally recognized. As Chapters, Councils, Commanderies, or the Scottish Rite they are independent of the Grand Lodge. The Grand Lodge acts upon them as bodies as one nation acts upon another. But every Mason in the state is within the jurisdiction of the Grand Lodge and amenable to it for his conduct in all Masonic matters. . .<br>
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"When the conduct of such an independent institution disturbs ancient Landmarks or interferes with the policy of the Grand Lodge in a way that jeopardizes the peace, harmony, or interests of her Masonic Fraternity, it is clearly the duty of the Grand Lodge to protect her landmarks and Fraternity adequately to the injury menaced, even to denouncing any further recognition of the Body, and by expelling all of her Masons who remain in the offending Body, should such a course be deemed necessary. . .<br>
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"It is a question whether the multiplicity of degrees is not already a danger in distracting energy and financial support properly due" to Blue Masonry, in seeking to illuminate points not sufficiently important to merit a separate organization, and wasting the member's money on matters of no real benefit either to the order or to himself. . .<br>
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"The force due to these suggestions exerts its energy on the toleration of further additions to the number of these derived and secondary organized rites. . .<br> 
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"The recognition in the proposed amendment of the regular and duly constituted character of the Chapter, Commandery, Council and Scottish Rite, appears just. The two evils now beginning to afflict Masonry are not of their making. One is, this hawking of degrees in pseudo Bodies, with new rituals, pretending to be Masonic. Second, efforts to establish rivals to Masonic Bodies already in existence, and to wage within our membership a contest with the older and well-established Bodies for recruits to fill their ranks."
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The first of these evils was often a mere speculation set on foot by unscrupulous persons for private gain. The second was counterfeit organizations, pretending to be legitimate bodies and making their appeal on the basis of the cheapness of the degrees offered. At present there were two such counterfeits, but if unchecked more would surely appear and spread faction, discord, and rivalry throughout the Craft. The Committee considered that it was the Masonic duty of the Grand Lodge to protect the Masonic bodies recognized as regular from injury and invasion and to protect the Lodges from being forums for the propagation of discord or recruiting grounds for rival bodies:to protest the Lodges from disturbance by agitation unfriendly to existing bodies to protect the  Lodges from the entry of causes of discord and the members from imposition; and to discourage and repress un-Masonic conduct toward Brother Masons. "The good name and safety of Masonry demands that the Grand Lodge, for It's own sake, shall stop these unseemly and un-Masonic proceedings, which  clearly militate against its own peace and harmony."

The Committee emphatically affirmed the constitutional power of the Grand Lodge to enact the proposed legislation and recommended the adoption of the amendment as drafted except that the word "hereafter" should be inserted in the second paragraph to prevent the amendment from being construed retroactively.

The debate was opened by Wor. Alfred H. Chapman. Chapman was Proxy for Zetland Lodge. The Master and both Wardens of Zetland were present, but Grand Master Lawrence gave Chapman the privilege of the floor, in order not to hamper the fullest and freest discussion. Chapman was a well known and highly respected member of the Craft, having served as Grand High Priest in 1876.

Chapman's speech, which would have been much improved by condensation, turned on two points. Albert Pike was named in the amendment as the Commander of the Southern Jurisdiction of the Scottish Rite. Chapman considered this improper and inconsistent because Pike had endorsed the Rite of Memphis and "peddled" the Royal Order of Scotland.

His second, and more important, point was that the Grand Lodge had no concern with anything except the three Symbolic degrees. It had no business whatever with the so-called "higher degrees," with who took them, or with the internal disputes among their members.

Past Grand Master Welch, who drew the amendment, replied. So far as Pike was concerned, he had named him simply as a means of identifying the body of which he was head. The including of his name implied no endorsement of his views or the Rite of Memphis or any other subject. The purpose of the amendment was the protection of the Lodges and of the members. There had been a bitter quarrel in the Scottish Rite a few years previously. The bad feeling engendered by this quarrel has spread into the Lodges and caused much discord. This was inevitable where such quarrels existed between rival claimants to regularity. Members needed to be protected from degree sellers, offering worthless degrees as Masonic and so injuring the unwary.

At Bro. Welch's request five letters were read, all favoring the purpose of the amendment, from Enoch T. Carson, of Ohio, J. P. C. Cottrell, Past Grand Master of Wisconsin, in which jurisdiction serious difficulties of the kind sought to be prevented had occurred, R. E. Gould and W. J. Hughan, two of the most eminent English Masonic authorities, and J. G. Findel, the eminent German Masonic historian.

The floor was then taken by Warner Wells Carpenter. Carpenter was forty years old, had been a Mason eleven years, and was the Junior Warden of Monitor Lodge. He was not advanced at the next election of his Lodge, and was suspended in 1894.

Carpenter took the ground that the amendment violated the personal rights of the members of the Order, both Masonic and civil. "As a man I deny the ''right'' of the Grand Lodge to lay down a line which shall guide my thoughts and feelings other than those pertaining to the three degrees of Masonry which it governs. As a citizen, I deny the power of this Grand Lodge to dictate to what portion of the United States I shall remove, or where located . . . Grand Lodges have no more power or right to interfere with the higher branches of Masonry than they have to declare for what political candidates their members shall vote. Why, this body may as well dictate what ''church we shall become members''." He exclaimed against the iniquity of expelling members for opinion's sake "without due trial."

All this was a bit hysterical and suite beside the point. The purpose of the amendment was to define what bodies and degrees were recognized as Masonic by this Grand Lodge and to protect the Craft from invasion by others pretending to be Masonic. Nobody quarrels with organizations of Masons until they profess to to Masonic organizations. A good many such have risen and flourished since 1882. The talk about expulsion without trial was mere gallery play. Nobody had hinted at anything of the sort.

There appear to have been no more speeches in opposition.

Wor. Z. L. Bicknell, Grand Standard Bearer, very pertinently remarked, "Now I think that we have something to do with any organization over whose members, we have that power, (Expulsion.)"

Isaac Hull Wright, Junior Grand Warden in 1858, rather causticly remarked that Carpenter's speech was made at the wrong time and place. He should have issued his declaration of independence when he took his Masonic obligations. Bro. Wright read the following advertisement from a daily newspaper:
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"Independent Grand Lodge, F.& A.M. of Mass. An Independent Grand Lodge for this State, loyal to the first three degrees only, will be organized Wednesday, June 21, 1882, provided the present Grand Lodge adopts the proposed amendment to its Constitution: 1000 good men are already pledged Master Masons in good standing, who desire to become charter and life members, may address in confidence, 'P. 246,' Herald Office."
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This, of course, was the emptiest of empty threats. Had such a body been organized it would not have been reorganized by any regular Grand Lodge in the world. The threat proved the Masonic ignorance of those who made it.

Edwin Wright, the Deputy Grand Master, re-enforced points already made.

Sereno D. Nickerson closed the debate by a speech in his usual convincing and conclusive manner. "If there is any conflict between the Constitution of Freemasonry and the Constitution of the United States - which I by no means admit - but if there is any conflict, we have deliberately waived any right which may be affected when we came into the Masonic Fraternity."

The amendment was adopted by a vote of 319 to 28.

At the March Quarterly of 1883, Past Grand Master Welch offered an amendment to the somewhat loosely drawn penalizing clause of the act of the following: "Any Mason in this jurisdiction who shall confer, communicate, or sell or assist in conferring, communicating, or selling, or solicit any one to receive or apply for, any so-called Masonic degree or degrees limited to Freemasons, not hereinbefore recognized or admitted, may be expelled from all the rights and privileges of Freemasonry."

The proposal was referred to a Committee, of which Charles Levi Woodbury was Chairman. At the June Quarterly Woodbury submitted a report, undoubtedly drawn by himself, recommending adoption. The report was a long one, running to twenty-one pages in the printed Proceedings. The section dealt with covered the penalty for disobedience to the Grand Lodge law as to unrecognized bodies claiming to be Masonic. It is clear that there had been disobedience. It will be recalled that the vote on the amendment stood 319 to 28. The minority was small, but rebellious, and represented a party not at all disposed to conform. Hence the strengthened legislation. According to the report disobedience was urged on two grounds: "that the Grand Lodge had no right to meddle with other bodies professing to be Masons, and no right to control its Masons as to what other bodies, professing to be Masonic, they shall enter or associate with; next, that if they violate the laws and regulations of this Grand Lodge, no power to punish them exists." The report shows, by citing a long list of precedents, that Grand Lodges have always and everywhere claimed and exercised the right of passing upon the claims of bodies claiming to be Masonic, and have recognized their claims or refused to do so as seemed best to them. The right and power to punish disobedience to the laws and regulations of the Grand Lodge is clearly asserted in the Grand Constitutions and is not open to question.

The amendment was adopted by a vote of 351 to 52. While this vote was decisive, it was far from satisfactory. The unreconciled minority had increased somewhat. it was to be twenty years or so before the trouble died out. We shall have occasion to note not a few instances of its flaring up as our story progresses.

There was no change in the legislation until the revision of 1930, when the words "or degrees limited to Freemasons" was omitted. This action was the result of materially changed conditions. The Order of the Eastern Star, although requiring Masonic membership for its male members, had long since abandoned all claim, if indeed it ever made any, to be Masonic. A large number of organizations, some large and influential, had grown up which required that their candidates and members should be Masons. The statute had never been invoked against them, though they were technically forbidden by it, and nobody had any desire to do so. The provision was clearly obsolete. it was far better to eliminate it. Any statute which is unenforced and unenforceable ought to be repealed.

At the March Quarterly of 1882, the Masonic trouble of Canada again came before the Grand Lodge on a request for recognition by a body calling itself the Grand Lodge of Ontario. In 1876 certain Masons had irregularly organized a so-called Grand Lodge of Ontario. It had not received recognition. In 1879 the Grand Master of Canada had reported that it had surrendered its seal, which had been destroyed, and gone through all the proceedings of dissolution. He reported in 1886 that certain Masons who had ignorantly or inadvertently become members of the spurious body had been healed. The Grand Lodge of Ontario, or some of its leaders, were now again asking recognition and conveying their request in a very unpleasant, and indeed improper letter. On report of a Committee headed by Past Grand Master Welch, the Grand Lodge voted to return the letter to the senders and inform them that when the Grand Lodge of Ontario had been recognized by the Grand Lodge of Canada its request for recognition would be considered by this Grand Lodge.

On May 30, 1882 the Grand Lodge dedicated the Crane Memorial Hall and Public Library of Quincy.

At the June Quarterly of 1882 a letter was read from the Grand Lodge of Utah and ordered printed in the Proceedings. It was an explanation of the attitude of that Grand Lodge in refusing to admit Mormons. It was based on the well recognized principle that a Mason "must be loyal to the government under which he lives, and yield a willing obedience to all its laws." One of the chief tenets of Mormonism being polygamy, a practice forbidden by the laws of the country and elsewhere punished as a crime, the Masons of Utah could not consistently admit Mormons. The objection was not to the beliefs of Mormons but to their practices. Although the practice of polygamy among the Mormons is practically obsolete, the rule of not admitting them to Utah Lodges still exists.

At the September Quarterly of 1882 Grand Secretary Nickerson called attention to the fact that the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania had just been celebrating its one hundred and fiftieth anniversary, thus claiming precedence from 1732. In 1931 the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania celebrated the two hundredth anniversary of Masonry in Pennsylvania, setting back the date to 1731. This was the beginning of a long dispute over precedence which is not yet settled to general satisfaction. All that needs to be said on that subject may as well be said at this point. There is no question that there were Lodges ''without Charters'' in Pennsylvania as early as about 1730, perhaps earlier. There were many such in the American colonies. There is good reason to believe that there was one in Boston as early as 1720. Daniel Cox was given a Commission by the Grand Master of England in 1730. This Commission covered both Pennsylvania and New Jersey. It was limited to two years and there is no evidence extant, documentary or traditional, that Cox ever exercised any authority under it. Shortly after Price's Provincial Grand Lodge was organized Benjamin Franklin, who was recognized as the leader of the Pennsylvania Masons wrote to Price asking to be regularized and stating explicitly that they had no authority from England. Pennsylvania received authority from Massachusetts in 1734 and again in 1749. The Pennsylvania Brethren were not satisfied and obtained a Commission as Provincial Grand Master from the Moderns for William Allen. This earlier Grand .Lodge soon expired, sold all its property, and gave the proceeds to the city of Philadelphia. In 1761 the Grand Lodge of Ancients gave a Warrant for a Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania, which is the present Grand Lodge.

On the other hand, Henry Price received a Commission in 1733 and immediately organized a "regular" Grand Lodge, which has been in existence from that time to this.
There is really no question of precedence involved. That there were Lodges in both colonies before 1733 nobody denies, or cares to deny. There is no telling where the priority lies, and no reason why anybody should care. The Grand Lodge of Massachusetts dates from 1733. The Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania dates from 1761.

On September 1882 the Grand Lodge laid the corner-stone of the Universalist Church at North Attleboro.

In October of 1882 Grand Master Lawrence received a pitiful appeal for help from Pensacola, Florida. The region had been devastated by a terrible scourge of yellow fever. Local Masonic resources were exhausted in the vain effort to deal with the resulting distress. Indeed Escambia Lodge, although crippled by the illness and the flight of half of the members, had gone a thousand dollars into debt. Help was urgently needed and the Fraternity at large was appealed to. As always in Massachusetts the cry of distress was heeded. A circular was immediately issued by the Grand Master asking the Lodges for contributions of five dollars, or less, for relief. The response was immediate. Grand Master Lawrence was able to report in December that three checks for one hundred and fifty dollars each had been forwarded when word came from the Grand Master of Florida that no more money was needed. Contributions received after this announcement were returned to the donors. There remained one hundred and seventy-four dollars and thirty-three cents. Grand Master Lawrence said that he intended holding this sum for use in such other emergency as might arise. He hoped no donor would object, and apparently none did. He did not have to hold the money long. At the December Quarterly of 1883 he reported that the village of Vineyard Haven had been destroyed by fire in the preceding August. The Lodge was a heavy loser. Its new hall, and practically all its furniture and properties were burned. The Grand Master had sent the balance of the yellow fever money to Vineyard Haven, to the great relief of the Brethren there.

At the June Quarterly of 1883 another effort was made to reduce the Grand Lodge dues. The Grand Constitutions called for ten dollars from each Lodge and five dollars for each initiate, The proposal was to reduce these sums to five dollars and three dollars respectively. The Committee of reference reported adversely in September on the ground that the Grand Lodge could not bear the reduction in revenue.

After some discussion action was deferred until the next Quarterly, at which time the proposed amendment was decisively defeated.

The Grand Lodge was always vigilant to protect its orderly methods of procedure. Then, as now, any amendment to the Grand Constitutions must be proposed, referred to a Committee, and acted upon at a later Communication on the report of the Committee. A Standing Regulation, however, might be acted upon at the Quarterly at which it was presented, and this had several times been done. An amendment was adopted in 1883, placing Standing Regulations on the same basis as constitutional amendments. The Grand Lodge was determined that it would not suffer hasty and ill-considered legislation of a permanent nature.

During 1883 requests for recognition were received from the Grand Lodge of Peru and from "The Independent Symbolic Grand Lodge of Mexico." Both requests were referred to a Committee, but there is no record that the Committee ever reported. The Mexican body was one of several more or less ephemeral organizations which appeared during the long period of confusion which involved Mexican Freemasonry. It does not appear to have obtained any general recognition.

In closing his administration in 1883 Grand Master Lawrence could point to two outstanding achievements. One was the extinction of the debt of the Grand Lodge. A beginning had been made under the able administration of Grand Master Welch. When Grand Master Lawrence began his work the net indebtedness of the Grand Lodge was just over $162,000. When he closed his administration, thanks to his persevering efforts every dollar had been paid.

The other outstanding event was the defense of Massachusetts Masonry against the attacks of clandestinism. There were yet bitter fights to be waged, but the lines of defense were clearly drawn and full victory came in time.

Grand Master Lawrence's success in debt raising was accomplished by inducing the Lodges to pay the commutation taxes out of their own resources and then reimburse themselves as they could from their members, in doing this he personally visited many Lodges and urged the matter upon their attention. The somewhat unexpected result was a general revival of Masonic interest and activity. In many cases he was met by a plea that the Lodge had no money, or was in debt. In one case a Lodge was in debt a thousand dollars. It generally happened that when a Lodge was inspired, as they almost invariably were, to lift its part of the general debt it was also inspired to clear off local debt. Some of these local debts were of long standing and had come to be regarded as almost or quite hopeless. The Grand Master was able to report that very few Lodges were seriously in debt and only one whose financial condition could be considered alarming.

The improved condition was permanent. Except for trouble caused by unwise Temple building commitments in the first quarter of the present century our Lodges have not suffered from debt burdens. Coupled with this announcement went some very wise advice as to the financial management of Lodges. Lodges should live on their dues. If this is not possible the dues should be increased. Expenditures should be kept within- reasonably assured income without taking account of fees for the degrees. In a word, Lodges should be operated on sound business principles.

In this connection the Grand Master had a good word to say about the sale of life memberships. Life memberships should be sold only at an adequate price. The proceeds of such sales should be put into a special fund, the principal to be forever inviolate and the income paid to current account. Grand Master Lawrence believed strongly in building up funds for the protection of Lodges and other Masonic bodies in time of need. The years have amply vindicated his wisdom. Not a few bodies have been saved in the lean years from 1930 on by the funds built up under the inspiration of his precepts and example.

In closing the Grand Master called attention to the condition of the Grand Charity Fund. This fund was founded in 1811 and placed in the hands of Trustees. In 1830, when the first Temple was built, it was loaned to the Grand Lodge. In 1860 the Fund, then declared to be $50,000, was invested in a mortgage on the Winthrop House estate. In 1864 the mortgage was surrendered in order that the Grand Lodge title to the property might be cleared and money raised on a first mortgage, the Grand Lodge voting to give a note to the Trustees "for the preservation of said fund." The note was never given, and no trustees were elected after the surrender of the mortgage. No interest was paid to the Grand Lodge, and expenditures for relief were met by appropriations from the general funds. The Grand Master said: "Although we have no tangible evidence of the existence of our Charity Fund, in the shape of note, bond, mortgage, or Board of Trustees, there can be no question whatever that the Trust and its fund still lives, if faith, honesty, and honor still dwell among us: and, for the credit and good name of the Grand Lodge and of the Fraternity, we cannot take too speedy action, after the payment of the temple debt, for the restoration of this fund, under the Constitutional protection of a Board of Trustees." He urged annual appropriations until the fund was restored, and prophesied that it would receive accessions from gifts and bequests. The truth of this prophecy appears from the fact that on September 1, 1937, the Charity Funds of the Grand Lodge amounted to $2,311,495.67. As we shall see, the Grand Master's exhortation bore fruit in the next administration.

Something occurred at the annual election which definitely fixed Grand Lodge practice. There had never been nominating speeches in Grand Lodge nor any discussions of the candidates for Grand Master. When the time set by the Grand Constitutions for tie election arrived a Permanent Member arose and asked permission to present the merits of one of the candidates for Grand Master. The point of order was raised that as the time for election had come the election could not be deferred for for the purpose desired. A discussion then arose, one party maintaining the importance of freedom of speech in Grand Lodge, the other holding that to grant the request would establish a precedent dangerous to the harmony and welfare of the Grand Lodge. The Grand Master said that the point of order raised was a new one of great importance and its decision would create a precedent, and that he thought the Grand Lodge itself should decide it. He therefore put the question: "Is it your pleasure that the Grand Lodge should proceed immediately to the election of a Grand Master?" A rising vote determined the question affirmatively by a large majority. The question has never since been raised.

The result of the first ballot was the election of Abraham H. Howland, Jr. as Grand Master, by 29 votes more than the constitutional two thirds. His two reelections were unanimous.

Abraham H. Howland, Jr., was born in New Bedford May 29, 1840. After being educated in the local schools he was employed as clerk by his father who conducted a marine railway and an oil refining business, refining whale oil and later petroleum. The younger Howland later conducted the refining business while a brother took over the marine railway. Abraham retired in 1871 with a considerable fortune partly inherited and partly accumulated by himself. For the rest of his life he and no occupation except the care of his property.

In early life he became a member of the fire department and rose through the various grades to be Chief Engineer in 1871, 1872, and I873. During his first year of service a fire alarm telegraph was installed.
He was Mayor of New Bedford in 1875 and 1876. Following his retirement from office he became a Trustee of the Free Public Library, holding that office until his death.

He was a Director of the New Bedford Gas Light Company, a Trustee of the New Bedford Five Cent Savings Bank and of the New Bedford Institution for Savings, and a Director of the Merchants National Bank. It will be seen that his retirement from business by no means implied a life of idleness.

He joined Eureka Lodge in 1865 and was its Master in 1869, 1870, and 1871. He was District Deputy Grand Master for the Fourteenth Masonic District in 1872, 1873, 1874, and 1875, Senior Grand Warden in 1876, and Deputy Grand Master in 1878, 1879, and 1880.

These were the years of Grand Master Welch's administration, and Bro. Howland was of very great assistance in the matter of the commutation. Toward the end of his service as Deputy Grand Master his health failed and continued bad for two or three years. He recovered sufficiently to enable him to accept the Grand Mastership. Shortly after the close of his term his illness recurred and he died April 20, 1887.

Grand Master Rowland was a man of very genial and companionable nature. His freedom from confining business duties enabled him to give much time to Masonry and to visit widely among the Lodges. "None knew him but to love him" and his early death was widely and deeply mourned."

In accordance with the recommendations of Grand Master Lawrence the Grand Lodge, now that the debt had been paid, addressed itself in earnest to the problem of the Grand Charity Fund. At the December Quarterly R. W. William F. Salmon, Past Grand Warden, introduced an amendment to the Grand Constitutions fixing the Fund at $100,000 and providing a Board of Trustees to have charge of it, and providing also that the Grand -bodge should pay $5,000 annually into the fund. This was referred to a Committee of seven, with Charles Levi Woodbury as Chairman.

The Committee reported in March, 1881, recommending that the Trustees be incorporated, and asking power to apply for the necessary legislation. The report was accepted and, after some discussion, a motion to lay the report on the table was rejected and the Committee was authorized to move for the desired legislation.

At the Quarterly held June 14, 1884, the Committee made a very long report, evidently drafted by Woodbury. The report recounted in detail the history of the Fund, as already related in Grand Master Lawrence's address, emphasized the necessity of more effective safeguards for it as a separate entity, and presented for the acceptance of the Grand Lodge an act which had been passed by the Legislature and signed by the Governor on May 8. This Act incorporated the Masonic Education and Charity Trust. The Board was to hold, invest, and manage any gifts or bequests given to it or to the Grand Lodge for charitable or educational purposes. It was to consist of eight members, five of whom should not hold elective or appointive office in the Grand Lodge. The Grand Master for the time being was to be a member of the Board. The first Trustees were to be elected for terms of one to eight years, respectively, and thereafter the Grand Lodge was to elect one Trustee annually, to serve for eight years. The Grand Lodge might at each annual election elect a Trustee, to serve for the unexpired term of amy whose place had been vacated during the year. The accounts of the board were to be audited annually and submitted to the Directors for their supervision. The Trustees were empowered to hold funds and property to the amount of $1,000,000. The report was accepted and the necessary constitutional amendments referred to a Committee. The Charter was a very broad and liberal one. It shows how far the Legislature had progressed from the attitude which had compelled the surrender of the original Charter of the Grand Lodge In 1833. It was carefully drawn to safeguard ail interests. The Funds were so protected that they could not be wasted by the Grand Lodge, as their control was taken out of the hands of the Grand Lodge. On the other hand, the Grand Lodge elected the Trustees and their accounts were placed under supervision of the Directors.

At the September Quarterly the Committee reported recommending the acceptance of the Act and the amendments necessitated by it. The amendments were adopted, and it was voted to accept the Act.
It was also voted that "it is the sense of this Grand Lodge that the Grand Master for the time being should be President of the Board of Trustees. The Grand Master is not a Trustee, but presides, without a vote, at all meetings." The first Trustees were elected at the Annual Meeting of 1884 They were
* Samuel C. Lawrence
* Lucius R. Paige
* Theodore C. Bates
* George P. Sanger
* Charles Levi Woodbury
* Charles C. Spellman
* Charles C. Dame
* Charles A. Welch. 
The Grand Lodge had one specific fund, founded on a gift. When Andrew Sigourney retired from office as Grand Treasurer in 1819 he donated his salary for that, year to the Grand Lodge, to be held by the Grand Treasurer as a Trust "until the Charity Fund shall go into action." At the September Quarterly of 1884 R. W. Thomas W. Davis moved that a Committee be appointed to see what disposition had been made of the Sigourney Fund, and whether any action regarding it was advisable. The Committee reported in December that the Sigourney Fund had been kept separate from other funds in Saving Banks at at compound interest until in July 1867 it had grown to $2,918.93. At that time the Directors were laying hands on everything in sight for Temple building, and ordered the closing of the Savings Bank account and the Trust, like other Charity Funds, was merged in the Temple. The report recommended that the present condition
of the fund he estimated at $2,913.93 plus compound interest at four per cent, from 1367, making its present content $5,771. It was further recommended that the Fund should be replaced by annual payments in such sums as would not interfere with the other financial commitments of the Grand Lodge, that it should be placed in the charge of the Trustees of the Masonic Education and Charity Trust, and that the Trustees should expend the income for charity. The recommendations were adopted and the Fund was replaced in two annual payments.

At the Stated Communication of December 27, 1883, Wor. William T. R. Marvin moved that a Committee of three be appointed to consider the expediency of striking a medal in commemoration of the one hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the establishment of regular Freemasonry in North America. The motion prevailed and Marvin, Thomas W. Davis, and Sereno D. Nickerson were appointed a Committee.

Bro. Marvin was a very interesting personality. He was a Past Master of Columbian Lodge and had served as District Deputy Grand Master for the First Masonic District. At this time he was Senior Grand Steward and in a few years was to be Senior Grand Warden. He was a printer and publisher, and for many years printed the Proceedings of the Grand Lodge. He was an interested and competent student of heraldry. His researches into Masonic Heraldry are embodied in a very valuable paper submitted with the report on the seal of the Grand Lodge in 1880. He had made a profound study of Masonic medals and published two books on the subject which are still authoritative. His motion was a natural result of his interest along these lines.

The Committee presented an elaborate report, evidently drawn by Marvin at the March Quarterly of 1884. After citing numerous precedents the Committee presented a design for the medal and an estimate of the cost of cutting the dies. The obverse was to bear the arms of the Grand Lodge. Above it was to be the inscription "Grand Lodge of Massachusetts" and below the date 1883. The obverse was to have a wreath of wheat and olive and grape leaves emblematic of health, plenty, and peace. Within the wreath was to be the inscription "150th Anniversary of the Introduction of Masonry by Henry Price into Massachusetts" and outside the wreath one of four
suggested biblical quotations. They recommended that these medals, in gold, be worn by the Grand Master and in silver by the Grand Officers as part of their regalia; that silver medals,(provided at their own expense) might be worn in Grand Lodge and elsewhere on proper Masonic occasions, by Brethren who were Officers or Permanent Members of the Grand Lodge at the Annual Communication of 1883 and that bronze medals might be worn by any Master or Wardens of Lodges at the 1883 annual if they cared to purchase them. These bronze medals might be worn by the regular successors in office of the original group, but by no others. The silver medals were to be suspended by a purple ribbon: the bronze by a blue ribbon. The Committee offered four votes:
# That the present Committee with the Grand Master be authorized to have the dies cut and a sufficient number struck off to carry out the recommendations;
# That the persons authorized to wear the medals notify the Committee as soon as possible of their desire to purchase.
# That the silver medal be made a part of the regalia of the officer, in addition to that prescribed by the Grand Constitutions, and
# That the Committee be authorized to prepare the dies. 
The third resolution was laid on the table. The report was accepted and the other recommendations adopted. The third resolution was laid on the table because it involved amendment of the Grand Constitutions. Later in the session an amendment covering the matter was presented by Thomas W. Davis and referred to Irving B. Sayles, William H. Adair, and Lafayette G. Blair.

At the June Quarterly Sayies and Blair reported two amendments and a Resolution which provided that the anniversary medal might be worn at Grand Lodge or of particular Lodges by the Masters, Wardens, and Proxies of all Lodges under the jurisdiction of the Grand Lodge at the December Quarterly of 1883. The Amendments were adopted and the Resolution was referred back to the Committee. At the September Quarterly the Committee presented a modified Resolution: That the anniversary medal, in silver, adopted by the Grand Lodge, March 12, 1884, may he worn at meeting of the Grand Lodge, or of any subordinate Lodge, by the Masters of all Lodges which were under the jurisdiction of this Grand Lodge at its Annual Communication in December, 1883; by Proxies of such Lodges outside the Commonwealth; but by no other persons whatever, except as provided for in the Grand Constitutions.

The bronze medals might be purchased and retained as their personal property by those Masters, Wardens, and Proxies who were the proper representatives of their respective Lodges at the time, and may be worn at all such meetings. After some discussion the report was recommitted to the same Committee with the addition of the original medal Committee, Marvin, Davis, and Nickerson.

There was no particular objection to the medal, but wide difference of opinion as to who should be authorized to wear it. At the June Quarterly of 1885, a majority of the Committee, Sayles, Adair, Nickerson, and Davis submitted a Resolution that the silver medal might be purchased by, or in behalf of, any subordinate Lodge which was under the jurisdiction of this Grand Lodge in December 1883 and might be worn by the Masters at any Masonic meeting. The bronze medal might be purchased and retained as their personal property by those Masters, Wardens, and Proxies who were the proper representatives of their respective Lodges at that time. Marvin did not sign. Blair submitted a minority report in the form of a Resolution: 
# That the Anniversary Medals adopted by the Grand Lodge March 12, 1884, may he purchased by or in behalf of amy subordinate Lodge under the jurisdiction of this Grand Lodge, and may be worn by the Master of such Lodge, or his proper representative, at any Masonic meeting.
# That the bronze medal may be purchased and retained as their personal property by the Masters and Wardens of such Lodges.
It was voted that both reports be laid on the table until the September Quarterly, and that they be printed and sent to the Lodges. At the September Quarterly the matter did not come up. At the December Quarterly the two reports were taken from the table and the whole matter treated of in the Resolution was indefinitely postponed. Evidently the Grand Lodge was thoroughly tired of the whole business. After the necessary formalities had been completed the Constitutional amendment relating to it was rescinded. That ended the matter. The proposed medal was never struck.

On May 31, 1884, the Grand Lodge laid the corner-stone of a Masonic Hall at Milford.

At the September Quarterly of 1884, a communication was received soliciting recognition of the Grand Lodge- of South Australia. The Committee to which the communication was referred presented an elaborate report setting forth the circumstances of the formation of the Grand Lodge of South Australia and recommended recognition, but with the usual caution of this Grand Lodge asking that the report be laid on the table until England, Ireland, and Scotland, the Mother Grand Lodges of the several Lodges which had formed the new Grand Lodge had recognized it. At the December Quarterly of 1885 the Committee reported the recognition had been accorded by the three British Grand Lodges and the desired recognition was accorded by Massachusetts.

At the March Quarterly of 1885 Grand Master Howland strongly condemned the use or written or printed rituals, especially one called ''Ecce Orienti'', pointing out the serious consequences resulting from the use of such "inaccurate and unauthorized catchpenny affairs." The warning was not entirely effective. Within recent years a Grand Lecturer was accustomed to sav in reproving inaccurate ritual, "You've got that out of ''Ecce Orienti''."

At the March Quarterly of 1885 Grand Secretary Nickerson called attention to questions which had arisen regarding the requirement that visitors should produce a Grand Lodge certificate as a prerequisite to admission and introduced an amendment to the Grand Constitutions requiring the production of such a certificate, but exempting visitors from Grand Lodges which did not issue diplomas or certificates. The Committee to which the amendment was referred presented a long report at the December Quarterly. After citing numerous pronouncements by Grand Masters of Massachusetts and the information gathered from a questionnaire sent to all the American Grand Lodges, the Committee recommended the following amendments:
<blockquote>
"Except on duly authorized public occasions, no visitor shall be admitted into a tyled Lodge, unless he complies with one of the following conditions:
* 1st. Being vouched for by some Brother present.
* 2d. Producing a certificate of some Grand Lodge and passing a satisfactory examination.
* 3d. Being personally known to and recommended for examination by some Brother present and passing such examination."
</blockquote>
The amendment was adopted and posted in the anteroom of every Lodge.

The requirement of Grand Lodge certificate came up for discussion from time to time for many years. Though somewhat modified it was never, discarded. The general use of uniform receipts for dues resulted in 1926 in the present form of requirement as preliminary to an examination, viz., the production of a receipt for dues for the present or next preceding fiscal year. The provision about being personally known and recommended for examination was abandoned in 1905.

On February 21, 1885, Grand Master Howland, accompanied by two Brethren from Massachusetts, officially represented this Grand Lodge at the dedication of the Washington Monument in the city of Washington. He records that the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts "was recognized as the senior Grand Lodge in this country."

At the December Quarterly of 1885 Grand Master Howland announced the formation of the Masonic Relief Association of the United States and Canada at Baltimore on August 21. The Grand Master had authorized a representative of this Grand Lodge to attend the Convention called for organization of the Association. Our representative was one of the original organizers and this Grand Lodge has continued its membership ever since.

At the December Quarterly of 1874 authority had been given to the Directors to print such portions of the early records of the Grand Lodge as they might think proper. For financial reasons nothing had ever been done. Grand Master Howland announced at the December Quarterly of 1885 that acting under vote the publication of the early records had been authorized. Two volumes were produced, one covering the two Provincial Grand Lodges from 1733 to the union of 1792 and the other containing the work to 1815. A third volume was prepared, but never published. The copy was prepared by hand, but the third volume was discovered to be inaccurate, owing to the unskilful work of the transcriber. Nothing more was ever done until 1928 when work was begun on five additional volumes, covering the period to 1870. These volumes were printed from photostats of the original record books of the Grand Lodge. Beginning with 1870 there were sufficient copies of the published proceedings to render further reprints unnecessary.

St. John's Lodge, of Concepcion, Chile, had been organized in 1884 and Constituted in due time. At the March Quarterly of 1886 the Proxy for that Lodge reported that although the Grand Lodge of Chile had been duly notified and fraternal relations had been repeatedly tendered and invited no response whatever had been received from the Grand Lodge of Chile and asked the good offices of the Grand Lodge. A Committee was appointed to have charge of the matter. No report of the Committee is recorded, but we know that in good time the relations of St. John's Lodge with the Grand Lodge of Chile was put on a fraternal basis, where they now stand. No Massachusetts Lodges have since been Chartered in Chile.

On August 26, 1886, the Grand Lodge, at the request of the County Commissioners of Hampshire County, laid the corner-stone of a Court House at Northampton.

In 1886 an amendment to the Grand Constitutions was introduced which made the first change in forty years in the requirements for organizing new Lodges. The proposed amendment was accepted at the March Quarterly of 1887. The development of legislation along this line is very interesting and it is worth while to treat it here as a whole.

Previous to 1792 the Massachusetts Provincial Grand Lodges followed the usage of their Mother Grand Lodges. The Grand Master of the St. John's Grand Lodge issued Warrants on petitions and the Massachusetts Grand Lodge voted Charters on petitions. There were no checks on the petitions in either case. The Constitutions of 1792 were rather sketchy and contained no provision regarding the formation of new Lodges. In fact the Grand Lodge acted directly on petitions, and continued to do do until 1843.

In 1811 it was provided that petitions for new Lodges must be countersigned by the District deputy Grand Master and approved by the nearest Lodge. In 1819 the further requirement was made that the petition must be approved by the two nearest Lodges.

In 1823, with the increase in the number of Lodges, a further requirement was made that if there were two or more Lodges in the town or city where the new Lodge was desired the approval of all must be asked and that of two thirds must be obtained.

In the general revision of 1843 the system of Dispensations by the Grand Master preliminary to the granting of a Charter by the Grand Lodge was provided for. The petition for a new Lodge must he countersigned by the District Deputy Grand Master and recommended by the nearest Lodge. This was a revision to the rule of 1811, caused probably by the greatly reduced number of Lodges and the wrecked condition of the Craft after the anti-Masonic hurricane had passed.
There was no change until 1887, when the provision was enacted that the recommendation of all the Lodges in the town or city must be obtained, but if there were no such the recommendation of all the Lodges whose jurisdiction would be affected must be obtained. The number of Lodges had so increased that there were very few places where a Lodge could be located without affecting the jurisdiction of existing Lodges. An attempt was made to soften the requirement of the recommendation of all the Lodges whose jurisdiction might be affected, but it failed.

The law remained unchanged until 1911, when two rather important modifications were made. If the jurisdiction of only one Lodge was affected the Grand Master might act without its approval. In the city of Boston the approval of two thirds of the Lodges would be sufficient.
In 1917 a long step forward was made. If the jurisdiction of three or more Lodges was affected it he approval of two thirds would suffice. The requirement of the countersignature of the District Deputy Grand Master was dropped. One wonders a little that the requirement lasted so long. When the requirement was first made it was quite comprehensible. Distances were so great and communication so difficult that District Deputy Grand Masters were very properly invested with many powers which were later withdrawn. This was the last to go. It presented the curious anomaly pf giving the District Deputy Grand Master the power of preventing the Grand Master from doing something he might want to do. The Grand Master's only recourse would have been to revoke the District Deputy's Commission. In 1930 the present law was adopted. The Grand Master issues Dispensations to petitioners in his discretion. So the wheel has come full circle, After two centuries we are back where we started except that as a matter of form actual Charters are voted by the Grand Lodge.

At the December Quarterly of 1886 Henry Endicott was unanimously elected Grand Master.

Henry Endicott was born in Canton, Massachusetts, November 14, 1824, and was educated in the local schools. Shortly after his marriage in 1851 he established himself in Boston as a manufacturer of engines and boilers. In 1858 he moved his plant to Cambridge where he spent the remainder of his long life. It is a mark of the modesty of the man that when applied for the degrees in Amicable Lodge in 1860 he called himself simply "Machinist." He retired from manufacturing in 1871, but remained active in banking and other financial interests until the end of his life. For half a century he was one of the leading, influential, and highly respected citizens of Cambridge, although he would never consent to be a candidate for any public office.
Endicott became a member of Amicable Lodge in i860 and was its Master in 1864, 1865, and 1866. When Mizpah Lodge received its Dispensation in 1867 he was appointed Master and served as such for the next two years.

He was District Deputy Grand Master for the Fourth Masonic District in 1867 and 1868 and Senior Grand Warden in 1873. He was elected a Director at the close of 1870. When he was elected Grand Master he retired but at the expiration of his term he was immediately returned to the board and remained a member until the close of 1905. he was badly crippled by rheumatism during the closing years of his life and had to give up all physical activity. He died November 8, 1913, lacking only a week of of eighty-nine years of age. He was of an unusually genial and kindly nature. In the newspaper which announced his death he was spoken of as the Grand Old Man of Cambridge and everybody's friend.

Early in Grand Master Endicott's administration the difficult question of the jurisdiction of the Boston Lodges came up again, this time in a form that afforded a final settlement. The growth of the city and the annexation of adjacent towns had thrown the matter of jurisdiction of Lodges into entire confusion. At this time there were twenty-nine Lodges within the city limits. Seventeen of these were chartered within sections which were included in the city limits. Some of these were located in what were separate towns when the Charters were issued. Eight were
chartered in "that part of the city of Boston called ____." From 1733 to 1845 Charters read "Boston" or "the town of Boston." That, of course, meant the Boston of the date of the Charter. The last to be issued, that of Joseph Webb Lodge in 1876, read "the city of Boston" and was inclusive of the whole city as it then stood. From that the location ran down to "the village of Jamaica Plain." Exactly what was the jurisdiction of the several Lodges? Nobody was sure. In 1873 the Grand Lodge had adopted an amendment to the Grand Constitutions providing that changes in municipalities or the boundaries thereof by the legislature should not affect the jurisdiction of Lodges. This by no means clarified the already existing confusion.

Union Lodge, of Dorchester, brought the matter to a head in 1886 by petitioning Grand Lodge that its jurisdiction should embrace the territory comprised within the town of Dorchester at the time of its annexation to Boston. Union Lodge had begun to agitate this as early as 1882, but so far without success. The 1886 petition was referred to a Committee which after twice asking for extension of time and holding hearings reported recommending that the matter be referred tp a Committee with authority to inquire into and report on the territorial limits (jurisdiction) of the several Boston Lodges. The report was adopted and the Committee appointed, consisting of Abraham H. Howland, Jr., Edward Avery, Samuel Wells, Thomas W. Davis, and James M. Gleason. It was a very strong Committee, Howland was the Junior Past Grand Master, Avery was a Past Grand Warden, Wells was to be the new Grand Master, Davis was Past Grand Warden and later to be Grand Secretary, Gleason was to be Senior Grand Warden the next year. Howland died while the Committee was at work and was replaced by Sereno D. Nickerson.

The Committee reported at the March Quarterly of 1888. After a full review of the Grand Lodge legislation bearing on the subject the Committee presented an analysis of the jurisdictional situation as it then legally stood. They further reported that a study of Lodge returns from 1870 to 1886, inclusive, showed that about thirty per cent of the degrees conferred in four Lodges having a restricted jurisdiction were given to candidates residing outside that jurisdiction and within the jurisdiction of other Lodges and in only two of these cases were waivers of jurisdiction obtained. The Committee believed that these invasions of jurisdiction were unintentional. They simply emphasized the confusion in the minds of the officers of Lodges, but they were liable to cause serious friction and discord.

The Committee recommended that Union Lodge have leave to withdraw its Petition. They further recommended an amendment to the Grand Constitutions providing that all lodges located in Boston should have equal and concurrent jurisdiction over the whole city. They added a proviso that when an application was received from a person residing outside the section of the city in which the Lodge was located the Lodge or Lodges in the district in which the applicant resided should be notified and time allowed for objection before a ballot was taken. In due time the amendment was adopted. The proviso proved unworkable and was dropped in 1892 since which time all Lodges within the city limits of Boston have concurrent jurisdiction. This action cleared up the whole matter and worked to the general satisfaction.

The confusion regarding the jurisdiction of Lodges was not confined to Boston. The general legislation regarding jurisdiction as not affected by legislative acts of the state government and providing that Lodges located by their Charters in particular sections of municipalities should have the same jurisdiction as if said section were entire municipalities had not cleared up the difficulty. The trouble arose from legislation concerning petitioners.

The Constitution of 1843 prescribed that if there was no Lodge in the town in which the petitioner resided he should apply to the "nearest Lodge." In 1860 this was changed to the Lodge "most convenient to his residence." In 1874 the provision of 1843 was restored. Constant complaints of invasion of territory came before the Grand Lodge but nothing was done except to pass on individual cases until 1911, when the Grand Lodge accepted the amendment which follows:
<blockquote>
"Application for initiation shall be made to a Lodge in the town or city in which the petitioner has resided for at least six months continuously next preceding the date of his application,if there be a Lodge therein; but if there be none, the petitioner shall apply to a Lodge in an adjoining city or town, and if there be none such, he shall apply to the Lodge, whose usual place of meeting is nearest to his dwelling. Distances for the purposes of this section, shall be measured in a straight line."
</blockquote>
This would appear to be sufficiently definite, but a case came up the next year involving a complaint of invasion of jurisdiction. The Committee to which the case was referred dealt with it, but added a rider to its report recommending the appointment of a Committee to go into the whole question of the jurisdiction of Lodges throughout the state. Nothing came of the suggestion and the matter stood as it was until the general revision of the Grand Constitutions in 1918. This contained the rule of 1911, just quoted, and also another article, 319, which dealt with the general question of jurisdiction in the following terms:
<blockquote>
"The territorial jurisdiction of a Lodge shall be as stated in its Charter. It shall also include all adjoining cities and towns where no Lodge is located and all other unoccupied territory which is nearer its place of meeting than that of any other Lodge."
</blockquote>
These two provisions finally settled the vexed question of jurisdiction.

The whole story interestingly illustrates the process of Constitutional development in Massachusetts. The Grand Constitutions are flexible, but not easily or hastily changed. The changing conditions of a growing social order and an expanding organization are met as they arise. There is little or no attempt to anticipate the future, which is always problematical. Problems are dealt with as they arise and always in a practical, not an academic fashion. The landmarks are never ignored. The fundamental principles of Freemasonry are always respected. Passing and temporary phases are never mistaken for real problems. Our statute book is never littered with legislation about trifles. Every change arises from a real need and is met by a measure resting on sound Masonic principle.

For several years the neglected condition of the grave of Henry Price had been disturbing the minds of the Grand Officers. A movement was started to reinter his remains and erect a suitable monument, but lack of funds had delayed operation. Now, in 1888, the financial condition of the Grand Lodge warranted action. Price's remains were removed from the old cemetery in Townsend to the new cemetery. A simple but dignified monument was erected, the old grave stone was removed to the Boston Temple, where it still is, and the monument was dedicated with impressive ceremonies on July 26, 1888. In commemoration of this event a bronze medal was struck and arrangements were made for its sale through the office of the Grand Lodge. The obverse of the medal bears a bust of Henry Price and the inscription "Founder of Duly Constituted Masonry in America" and the name Henry Price. Directly under the bust was the date "June 26, 1898." The reverse bears the seal of the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts. The medal was suspended by a ring and a blue ribbon from a bar bearing the square and compasses and "G", between boarders of laurel.

The history of this medal is interesting. When M. W. Melvin M. Johnson became Grand Master in 1914 he found a considerable number of these medals in stock. It occurred to him that they might well be used as an honorary decoration. He gave them to Grand Masters or Past Grand Masters of other Grand Lodges on occasion of the interchange of visits, upon members of our own Grand Lodge and upon those who had been for fifty years or more members of the Fraternity. At his suggestion the medal was given an official status by the passage in June, 1916, of the following resolution: "Hereafter the Henry Price medal may be worn only by members of Henry Price Lodge; by Permanent Members of the Grand Lodge; by those who have been members of the Fraternity for fifty years or more: and by such others as may be selected by the Most Worshipful Grand Master as worthy of this special Masonic recognition."

It soon appeared that this permitted the wearing of the medal by persons who were not entitled to "special Masonic recognition." Any member of Henry Price Lodge might wear it as soon as he signed the by-laws. It might be worn by any Mason who had succeeded in keeping in good standing for fifty years. Accordingly in the general revision of the Grand Constitutions of 1918 the following section appears:
<blockquote>
"The Henry Price medal may be worn only
* (a) By those heretofore rightfully in possession thereof with right to wear the same;
* (b) Permanent Members of the Grand Lodge:
* (c) By such Brethren who have been for fifty years in good standing as are designated by the Grand Master because of their faithful service to the Craft, and
* (d) By such distinguished Brethren as may be selected by the Grand Lodge or the Grand Master as worthy of such special Masonic recognition."
</blockquote>
This action was not retroactive, but for the future deprived the members of Henry Price Lodge of the right to wear the medal by virtue of such membership only.

When the stock of the old medals was exhausted it was found that the dies were not in possession of the Grand Lodge and could not be found. When originally struck there was no thought of permanent use of the medal and the Grand Lodge did not secure the dies. The medallist who made the original was long since dead and his dies dispersed or destroyed. Arrangements were made with the Gorham Manufacturing Company, of Providence, R. I., for cutting new dies, which should be the property of the Grand Lodge, and the furnishing of medals as required. The new dies are exact replicas of the original except for the omission of the date on the obverse.

There was «e obvious incongruity in bestowing this mark of "special Masonic recognition" upon men who had rendered the most conspicuous service to the Craft and on those whose only claim to recognition was longevity.

In 1926 the Grand Constitutions were further amended by the provision of a Masonic Veteran's Medal, to be worn by Brethren who have been for fifty years continuously in good standing and may be designated by the Grand Master to wear it. The use of the Henry Price medal was restricted to those already entitled to wear it and to such distinguished Brethren as may be selected for such special recognition. Permanent Members were thus entitled to the medal only as presented to them by the Grand Master. The medal thus became, in the language of the report presenting the amendment "the highest honor which it is in the power of the Grand Lodge to confer."

Even this was not entirely satisfactory There is a class of hardworking Brethren whose labor deserves recognition, but being in a restricted circle does not put them in the Henry Price class. Their deserts were recognized in 1930 by the provision of a third medal, the "Distinguished Service Medal" which may be conferred by the Grand Master upon such Brethren as may have rendered distinguished service to the Lodge of which they are members."

The Grand Lodge of Massachusetts has never been in the habit, not uncommon in the Masonic world, of conferring honorary Past Grand Rank. By the medal system due and appropriate recognition is given. The conferring of the Veteran's Medal is always attended with considerable ceremony and the medal is highly prized by its owners. If the recipient is not a resident of the state arrangements are made to have it delivered to him, in open Lodge, if possible, in the community where he resided. Foreign Grand Lodges have been very generous in co-operating in these regards. In not a few cases Grand Masters of other jurisdictions have personally visited Lodges and made the presentations.

The Distinguished Service Medal is also highly prized and worn on all proper. Masonic occasions with justifiable pride.

On July 4, 1888, the Grand Lodge laid the corner-stone of a Town Hall and High School at Stockbridge.

At the September Quarterly of 1888 the Grand Lodge made a decision which was very important as a precedent. A member of a Lodge complained against the action of the Lodge in suspending him for non-payment of dues. He became a member in 1871 and his attention, he claimed, was called to certain by-law provisions, one of which was that a member might be exempted from payment of Lodge dues when the total of dues paid by him amounted to twenty-five dollars. In 1877 this provision was removed from the by-laws. In 1880, five years later, his payments amounted to twenty-five dollars. He refused to pay any further dues and was suspended. His contention was that his signature of the by-laws constituted a contract which the Lodge had no right to break.

The Committee to whom the complaint was referred reported that even admitting that his signature was a contract it was subject to limitations, viz., the right reserved by the Lodge and expressed in the by-laws, to alter or amend them by a two thirds vote of the members present and voting. This right had been exercised and by-laws amended in a regular fashion. If by-laws are amended and the amendments approved by the Grand Lodge, when such amendments deprive members of previously existing rights or impose new obligations, they are equally binding on every member of the Lodge and no one can lawfully claim exemption from their operation. The Committee recommended that the complaint be dismissed, and it was so voted.

The principle involved is that when a member signs the by-laws he signs the whole code, including the amending clause, and not simply the provision as to dues. If the by-laws are amended in compliance with the provisions of the amending clause, he has no ground of complaint because other clauses have been altered.

In 1888 an important step forward was taken in the matter of the Grand Lecturers. There had been three and the expense attending their services had been borne by the Lodges served. It was now provided that two or more Grand lecturers should be annually appointed. They should exemplify the work and lectures of the several degrees at such times and places as the Grand Master should direct and impart instruction to any Lodge requiring it. The compensation for their services should be fixed by the Directors and passed by the Grand Lodge. At the Annual Communication of 1889 the Grand Master spoke warmly of the success of the new system. It was provided in 1896 that each District Deputy Grand Master should convene the Lodges in his District at least once in two years for an exemplification under the direction of the Grand Lecturer. The number of Grand lecturers was increased from one to two. With these additions the system still continues and works admirably.

At the September Quarterly of 1888 Mount Horeb Lodge, of West Harwich, petitioned the Grand Lodge that the fee for initiation be reduced from five dollars to one dollar and the direct Lodge fee be reduced from ten dollars to five. Forty-nine other Lodges joined in the petition. The Committee to whom the petition was referred reported in March 1889 that they had announced a hearing at which only five of the petitioning Lodges were represented. As a result of this hearing and the inquiry made the Committee was convinced that in many cases the petition had been signed hastily and without adequate knowledge of what involved. Some of the petitioners went so far as to admit that they had come to the conclusion that the proposed changes would be unwise. in view of the necessity of increasing the Grand Charity fund and other commitments of the Grand Lodge the Committee reported against any change and the report was accepted. There does not appear to have been any protest.

On February 22, 1889, the Grand Lodge laid the corner-stone of a Post Office at Springfield,on May 15 it laid the corner-stone of the Cambridge City Hall, and on August 8 it laid the corner-stone of the Court House at Fall River.

On August 1, 1889, the Grand Lodge dedicated the Pilgrim Monument at Plymouth, the corner-stone of which had been laid August 1, 1859, by the Grand Lodge, M. W. John T. Heard being then Grand Master. Unfortunately the impressive ceremony was marred by very heavy showers. The Grand Officers, however, manfully held their posts and carried through their work, although regalia, silk hats, and frock coats were sadly bedraggled.

On May 30, 1889, the city of Johnstown, Pennsylvania, was entirely destroyed by a flood with great loss of life. There were two Lodges in Johnstown, with an aggregate of over two hundred and twenty-five members. Several members lost their lives and the distress of the survivor and their families was very great. The Grand Lodge, as always, responded quickly to call of distress. Without waiting for a call from Pennsylvania $1,156.00 was immediately forwarded from the Grand Lodge Treasury and five other Masonic bodies, including Springfield Commandery of Knights Templar. At the Quarterly of June 12, the Grand Master reported what had been done and said that further collections were being made which he hoped would be pushed as rapidly as possible. The amount of these further collections is not recorded.

On December 21, 1889, the Grand Lodge laid the corner stone of the extension of the State House, in Boston.

The Grand Master's report at the December Quarterly of 1889 showed that the affairs of the Grand Lodge, both Masonic and financial, were in a very healthy condition.

Samuel Wells was elected Grand Master.

Samuel Wells was born in Hallowell, Maine, September 9, I836. His father was a very distinguished lawyer, serving some years as a Justice of the Supreme Court and as Governor of Maine in 1856 and 1857. On retiring from the governorship he moved to Boston and there practiced law for the rest of his life. The younger Wells prepared for college in a private school in Portland. He was graduated from Harvard in 1857 and took up the study, of law in his father's office. He was admitted to the bar December 18, 1858. All the rest of his life was spent in the very successful practice of his profession. Able, judicious, and reliable, he was recognized as one of the leaders of the Boston bar. Outside his profession he was a leader in many business and philanthropic enterprises. Eminently social in Ms nature he was active in many of the best clubs of Boston, both purely social and artistic. in addition to all this he was deeply interested in science and was one of the first Americans to employ the microscope in photography.

He was raised in Revere Lodge in 1863 and served as its Master in 1873 and 1874. He was elected Grand Treasurer in December 1878 and served until the end of 1887, when he was appointed Deputy Grand Master, serving in that office for two years. He died after a short illness on October 3, 1903.

Grand Master Wells was a very versatile man. He excelled in whatever he undertook by virtue of uncommon ability and an enormous capacity for hard work. He probably could not have accomplished so much without the relaxation afforded by his deep enjoyment of social intercourse, and a very keen sense of humor. His memoralist in Grand Lodge said,"He made the most ordinary things bubble with fun."

Bro. Wells was a member of all the collateral bodies in Masonry except the Council of Royal and Select Masters. He was an Active Member of the Supreme Council of the Northern Jurisdiction and deputy for Massachusetts from 1893 to 1897.

At the March Quarterly of 1890 an amendment to the Grand Constitutions was adopted providing for the annual appointment of a Committee on Charters and By-Laws. This Committee passes upon the petitions of Lodges under Dispensation for Charters. It also passes upon all Lodge by-laws and amendments thereto. All such by-laws and amendments are submitted to the Committee as soon as adopted by the Lodge, If they are entirely in accord with the Grand Constitutions and the ancient customs, usages, and Landmarks, the Committee has authority to approve them at once. If any changes are necessary the Committee reports its recommendation for change or disapproval as the case may be to the Grand Lodge for action. By-laws and amendments take effect as of the date of approval by the Committee or by the Grand Lodge.
It will be remembered that for a good many years there had been talk of a national Masonic memorial to Washington. The project was now revived in the shape of a memorial Temple at Fredericksburg for Washington's Mother Lodge. This Grand Lodge had appropriated $1,000 in 1875 for the Washington Monument in Washington, but Congress very soon thereafter assumed the charge of completing the monument, the money was never called for. Upon report of a Committee, of which Sereno D. Nickerson was Chairman, it was voted in March 1891 to apply this thousand dollars to the Fredericksburg project and to refer the matter to the several Lodges
677. for such action as they might choose to take. The Grand Lodge appropriation and any money received from the Lodges were to be sent to Fredericksburg in such amounts and at such time as might be determined by the Grand Master, the Grand Treasurer and the Grand Secretary. By this action the Grand Lodge expressed its sympathy and readiness to help, but very wisely held onto its money until reasonably assured of the success of the project. There is no record of action under this vote. The real Washington memorial was yet to come. The Fredericksburg project never materialized.

At the June Quarterly of 1890 a decision of the Grand Lodge set an important precedent, indeed two of them. in considering this somewhat involved case two things are to be remembered, in which the law and usage of that day are different from those of today. They do not, however, affect the principle involved. At that time Lodges voted dimits. Curiously enough there was never any article of the Grand Constitutions covering dimits until 1930, although Grand Master Simpson ruled in 1927 that a Brother who was square on the books was entitled to a dimit as a matter of right and the Lodge had no right to vote on the matter at all. This ruling was incorporated in the general revision of 1930. At the time we are considering there was no provision of the Grand Constitutions requiring signatures of the by-laws as a condition of membership, although some Lodge by-laws contained such a provision.

Phoenix Lodge reported a curious comedy of errors. Brother X had taken a dimit from Konohassett Lodge in 1873, when Phoenix Lodge applied for a Dispensation. He had been very active in the early days of the Lodge, but had never signed the by-laws although the by-laws themselves required such signature for membership. He had, however, paid his dues,
including the capitation tax for nine years and the money had been received and receipted for without comment. In 1882 he told the Secretary that he wished to withdraw and asked for a dimit, but did not ask in writing as required by the by-laws. The Secretary, discovering that X had never signed the by-laws, decided that he was not a member and therefore not entitled to a dimit. The Secretary never mentioned the matter of a dimit for X to the Lodge, but did cease to send him notices or bills. On two occasions thereafter X had visited and registered himself as of
Phoenix Lodge. Now everybody concerned wanted to know just where all this left X.

The decision of the Grand Lodge, taken on report and recommendation of a Committee headed by Benjamin A. Gould, the Deputy Grand Master, was (1) the acceptance without comment of X's dues and assessments for nine years must be held to constitute him a member ''de facto'', if not ''de jure'', and (2) that the neglect of the Secretary to inform X that a written application for a dimit was required and the immediate discontinuance of all acts which recognized him as a member placed him in the position ''de facto'' of a dimitted member. His subsequent registering as from Phoenix Lodge was not important because it was a common, though not good, practice for unaffiliated Masons, who under the then existing law possessed rights of visitation, to register as of the Lodge of which they were last members. It was the final conclusion that X was a member of Phoenix Lodge up to the time when he asked for a dimit but was not a member after that date. The conclusion seems eminently equitable. One wonders, however, why the Committee did not recommend that the Grand Lodge order Phoenix Lodge to issue a dimit to X as of the date of his request therefor. That would have been a logical and just conclusion of the whole matter. As it was X was left in the anomalous position of a dimitted Mason without a dimit.

At the March Quarterly of 1890 the Committee on Charters and By-Laws, in reporting on a by-law which was before it, called attention to the fact that the Grand Constitutions were silent on the matter of Committees to investigate applicants, and recommended the appointment of a Committee to consider what if any, legislation was desirable. The Committee reported the substance of the present article in the Grand Constitutions and it was adopted at the September Quarterly. It provided that immediately on the receipt of an application the Master should appoint a Committee of three or more who should be promptly notified by the Secretary. They might report personally in open Lodge or/ in writing over their signatures. Reports from at least two must be received before a ballot could be taken. The names of the Committee must be entered in the record but must not be printed on the notice. The article has never been changed , but has later been somewhat expanded by specifying the duty of the Committee.

The provision barring the names of the Committee was inserted to prevent the information from going outside the Lodge, said the Committee. They expressed themselves as believing that the names of the Committee should be made known in the Lodge, but added a strong exhortation to discretion on the part of the members. They had considered and did not accept the view that such knowledge might subject Committee members to personal retaliation or even financial loss in case of unfavorable report. All this, they said, should never happen. They contented themselves, however, with the expression in the statute. Experience has shown that they trusted too much to the discretion of members and to the Masonic spirit which ought to govern the friends of candidates. Committee members have been proved by experience to need protection from all concerned. In more recent years Grand Masters have ruled that the requirement of omission of names from the notice logically extends to the complete protection of the Committee. The names are not read in the Lodge. Members of Committees may of course, report in open Lodge if they so desire. The Master may, in his discretion, disclose the names of one or more Committeemen to individual members of the Lodge, if he is satisfied as to their good faith in asking for them.

During 1890 the Grand Lodge laid the corner stone of a Memorial Hall and Public Library in Palmer on July 22, and that of the City Hall in Lowell on October 11.

During this year electric lighting was introduced in the Boston Temple. The Directors were convinced that electric lighting had passed the experimental stage and was now reasonably safe and reliable.
In his annual address Grand Master Wells suggested the desirability of legislation on four points # to allow plural membership, 
# to set a limit of time to the privilege of unaffiliated Masons, 
# to permit the Grand Master to recall the Charters of weak Lodges, and 
# to charge fees for dispensations such as shortening the time between degrees and the like.
As usual at that time the address was referred to a Committee. The Committee, after obtaining further time in March, reported in June, disapproving all four suggestions. The first two were premature and became law in a few years. The last two were unsound and were not revived.

At the June Quarterly of 1891, Grand Secretary Nickerson announced that he had begun the preparation of a card index of membership. This was the beginning of a huge task successfully accomplished. Our card index now contains the Masonic record, so far as known, of every member of a Massachusetts Lodge, including those in Maine prior to 1820, from 1733 to the present day, except a very few in small Lodges which died during the persecution period and whose records are lost. Supplementary indices of rejections, of Lodges by Masonic Districts, of District Deputy Grand Masters, and other data give us a Records Department equal to any in the world.

At the September Quarterly ^n attempt was made to regulate the fees to be charged by the degrees. A Committee to which a proposed Amendment had been referred reported favorably an; Amendment that "The fee demanded by a Lodge in any city within this Commonwealth for initiating, crafting, and raising a Mason shall not be less than fifty dollars, including the fee to the Grand Lodge; in any other Lodge the fee shall not be less than forty dollars, including the Grand Lodge fee; and no Lodge under this jurisdiction shall take notes of hand for fees, or grant any time of credit therefor." There was considerable discussion of the motion to adopt and it was finally voted, almost unanimously, to postpone the whole matter indefinitely.

A very curious case came up at the September Quarterly of 1891. The Master of one of the Lodges wrote to the Grand Lodge that in his opinion a certain member of the Lodge was "mentally unfit to exercise the right of ballot." he further claimed that the member had recently exercised the right in a manner unbecoming a Mason and to the serious detriment of the Lodge. He asked the Grand Lodge to investigate. The communication was referred to the Commissioners of Trials.

At the December Quarterly Charles A. Welch, Charles T. Gallagher, and Lafayette G. Blair reported for the Commissioners. There was no evidence of mental unfitness, and a Past Master of the Lodge declared that he did not believe there was such unfitness. With regard to the second allegation it appeared that a certain applicant had been twice rejected when the accused member was not present. On a third application, at which the accused member was present, he was again rejected. Methods were adopted which the Commissioners disapproved, and expresses their disapproval at the hearing, were used to ascertain who cast the cube, and as a result, the accused Brother admitted that he did it. The Commissioners stated that while cases might arise where the misuse of the ballot required Grand Lodge action this did not appear to be one. The Commissioners did not question the honesty and good intentions of the Master but reported that they saw nothing in the case which authorized any action by the Grand Lodge.

in 1890 Anchor Lodge, of Wales, surrendered its Charter and James Otis Lodge, of Barnstable, surrendered its in 1891. These were very weak Lodges, probably among those in the Grand Master's mind when the suggested empowering the Grand Master to revoke the Charters of weak Lodges. There were no more surrenders of Charters in Massachusetts until Bethel Lodge of Enfield was forced out of existence by the destruction of the town to make way for the Quabban reservoir in 1938.

The fee question obstinately refused to stay settled. At the March Quarterly of 1892 the Grand Lodge voted to have a Committee of three to consider the matter and to formulate such legislation as might appear expedient. The Committee reported in June. After a survey of the whole situation they presented a somewhat complicated amendment. Lodges in Boston and eight other enumerated places were to charge not less than fifty dollars. Two or more Lodges located in any other city of town to agree on a minimum fee of not less than thirty dollars; if they could not agree the fee was to be fixed by the Grand Master. No Lodge in the . jurisdiction should charge less than thirty dollars. This was referred to a Committee who reported in September recommending the adoption of the amendment with eight changes. This precipitated a "prolonged and animated discussion." The first clause was amended to read that all the Boston Lodges should charge a uniform fee of fifty dollars and in that was formally adopted nearly unanimously. All the rest of the amendments were rejected. An amendment was accepted giving all Lodges in Boston equal and concurrent jurisdiction.

As soon as the storm had subsided an amendment was proposed to take the place of the one rejected. This amendment fixed the minimum fee to be agreed upon by two or more Lodges in the same town or city at twenty-five dollars, and provided that no Lodge in the jurisdiction should charge less than twenty-five dollars. Upon report and recommendation of the Committee of reference this amendment was adopted at the December Quarterly. A very slight change in the wording not affecting the substance of the statute was made in 1894. The vote of December 1892 was practically a final settlement of the matter.

At the March Quarterly of 1892 it was reported that the Directors had authorized the payment of a small annual subscription (one half per cent per member) to the Masonic Relief Association of the United States and Canada by virtue of which each Lodge should receive the monthly "Warning Circular" of the Association. This excellent service has continued ever since.

The Grand Lodge laid the corner stone of the City Hall at Brockton on May 31, 1892 and that of a Court House at Taunton on July 9.

At the September Quarterly of 1892 an amendment was presented providing that the fees for the degrees should entitle the applicant to membership without further charge or ballot. The amendment was adopted at the March Communication of 1893, though not without considerable opposition. There had been, wide-spread custom of taking a ballot for membership after the degrees had been conferred and many disliked giving it up. This was later restricted by requiring signatures of the by-laws within a year from raising and requiring proficiency in the work and lectures of the third degree. This last requirement was added because experience showed that while proficiency was required for advancement through the
degrees many candidates would not take the trouble to obtain it after receiving the third degree. They did not realize the importance of such proficiency when examined for admission as visitors.

In his annual address Grand Master Wells called attention to the fact that as the law stood a Lodge had perpetual jurisdiction [control] over a rejected applicant and suggested the desirability of setting a time limit to such control.

At the December Quarterly a Committee was raised to consider the question of a Masonic Home for the care of aged Masons, and their wives, widows, and children. A Committee of seven was appointed, but their investigation shows that the Craft was not yet ready for the enterprise and no action followed.

The financial report showed a sound condition and the statistical reports showed a membership of nearly 32,000, with a gain in membership and an increase in initiations.

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